Literature

When I met King Smokey for the first time in 2019, I was almost paralyzed by his appearance and couldn't even think about taking photos at first. He was just lying there in the shade in front of a bush and saw me before I even noticed him. I have seen and photographed many mighty, full-grown lions in the wild, but the grace of this true king had overturned every previous encounter with lions for me.
As serene and experienced as he was wise and relaxed, a little arrogant without being arrogant and in any case deeply emphatic, he captivated my gaze.
When I visited GG Conservation again in July 2023, I saw him again. It seemed to me that time had passed him by without a trace, because he was in top form! Majestic, powerful and with an absolutely focused gaze, he approached me one morning as if out of nowhere. He wanted to make it unmistakably clear to me: In the hot savannah of Africa, he is the true king of lions - the father of Simba!